Labor Skate Shop Opens at 46 Canal Street

Another skate shop to fuel the downtown resurgence. With the newly-opened Coleman Oval Skatepark attracting a much larger horde of youngsters to the Lower East Side, there is seemingly more demand for those symbiotic businesses.  It was precisely this renovation beneath the Manhattan Bridge that directly resulted in the launch of Labor Skate Shop. So we’re told.

Ownership seized the opportunity to score a storefront recently vacated by a Chinatown bus operator. These depots are now officially on the threatened list due to a nascent permitting system (nay, crackdown) that permits the city to regulate the industry. But we digress. Labor opened here at 46 Canal Street less than a week ago, and is already serving the needs of neighborhood skaters. The joint peddles decks and parts alongside apparel such as hoodies, tees, and hats.

Labor carries a host of brands, including 5Boro, Palace, Girl, Chocolate, Independent, Magenta, Spitfire, Bones, Thunder, Venture, Alien Workshop, Habitat, Brixton, and Emerica. Our two boards of choice are the Katz’s 5Boro and the Beastie Boys-inspired deck by Mike Carroll.

Though certified open (7 days, 12pm-7pm), Labor is very much flying under the radar, thanks in part to the old awning. Apparently people still enter the premises inquiring about the bus service.